What climate change means for New York

In 2009, there were 961 emergency room visits in New York due to heat stress.

In New York, there were more than 37,800 hospital admissions for asthma in 2011, with an average charge of more than $17,900 for each.

Superstorm Sandy devastated New York City and the New York coastline in 2012, impacting much of Manhattan, devastating Staten Island and severely damaging or destroying 100,000 homes on Long Island, 2,000 of which were deemed uninhabitable. In New York City alone, 6,500 patients were evacuated from hospitals and nearly 2 million people were left without power. Rebuilding and recovery will cost tens of billions of dollars, with $50 billion already allocated through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013.

Northeast states can expect more climate change related heat waves—with significantly more days above 90 degrees F—and flooding from sea level rise and extreme precipitation events. Even low-end projections anticipate that historical 100-year coastal floods will happen as often as every 22 years by the end of the century. There is $2.3 trillion of insured coastal property at risk in New York State alone. Northeasterners are already experiencing increased heavy precipitation. Extreme heat and declining air quality are expected to increase risk associated with respiratory problems and heat stress, both of which pose increasing problems for human health, especially in urban areas, and can result in increased hospitalizations and even premature death. Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide concentration increase pollen production and prolong the pollen season, increasing health risks for people with allergies. Agricultural production, including dairy, fruit, and maple syrup, are likely to be adversely affected as favorable climates shift, while the center of lobster fisheries is projected to continue its northward shift and the cod fishery on Georges Bank is likely to be diminished.